How life has changed in Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent's population increased by about 8,400 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly quarter of a million

In the decade to 2011, the population of Stoke-on-Trent increased by 3.5%, from almost 241,000 to 249,000.

The addition of almost 8,400 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Stoke-on-Trent was home to, on average, 19 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Stoke-on-Trent

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Stoke-on-Trent increased by one year, from 37 to 38 years.

This area had a slightly lower average age than the West Midlands and became slightly younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 4,700 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 4,000.

About 15.0% of people in Stoke-on-Trent are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Stoke-on-Trent by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent saw the West Midlands' second-largest fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just under 1 in 16 (6.1%) in Stoke-on-Trent reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 6.7% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 4.5% to 4.9%.

Across the region, only Wolverhampton saw a greater fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability (from 6.8% to 6.2%).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

More single people in Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent saw the West Midlands' second-largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership.

In 2011, just over one in three (36.0%) people aged 16 and over in Stoke-on-Trent said they were single, compared with 30.2% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 48.9% to 43.8%.

Across the region, only Worcester saw a greater rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership (from 30.1% to 36.6%).

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership, as the regional average grew from 28.8% to 33.7%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Stoke-on-Trent residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 12.8% to 8.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (76.6%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 63.1% in 2001. The percentage of Stoke-on-Trent residents that described their health as fair decreased from 24.1% to 15.3%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across the West Midlands. As a result, this area had the region’s highest proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad and the lowest proportion of residents that perceived their health as good or very good.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Stoke-on-Trent decreased by 4.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

Stoke-on-Trent saw the West Midlands' joint second-largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple, alongside Dudley. The largest rise was seen in Lichfield

In 2011, just under one in nine (11.1%) households in Stoke-on-Trent had an unmarried couple, compared with 8.7% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising just one person increased from 31.5% to 32.9%.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple, as the regional average grew from 7.9% to 9.6%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Stoke-on-Trent increased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Stoke-on-Trent residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.9% to 3.1% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.5%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 2.3% in 2001 to 2.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Stoke-on-Trent remained close to 3.1%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Stoke-on-Trent by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

Long hour working fell in Stoke-on-Trent, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the West Midlands, except East Staffordshire and Wychavon.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of people working long hours, as the regional average fell from 12.5% to 9.4%.

During this period, Stoke-on-Trent fell below Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton to become the West Midlands local authority area with the fifth-lowest percentage of long hours workers.

Long hour working in Stoke-on-Trent decreased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Stoke-on-Trent

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Stoke-on-Trent was among those who said they had no religion, rising 12.4 points.

In 2011, 26.9% of respondents in Stoke-on-Trent gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 14.5% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 13.3% to 23.5%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Stoke-on-Trent, 65.1% said they were Christian, compared with 81.2% in 2001. About 6.4% said they were Muslim, compared with 3.5% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Hindu increased from 0.2% to 0.6%.

In Stoke-on-Trent, 6.4% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.0% in 2001. Across the West Midlands, 6.6% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population that said they had no religion in Stoke-on-Trent increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, West Midlands and Stoke-on-Trent by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Stoke-on-Trent that rented privately increased from 7.4% to 14.4% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage that lived in social housing remained close to 24.2%, while the percentage of Stoke-on-Trent households that owned their home decreased from 64.5% to 59.4%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.2% in 2001 to 14.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Stoke-on-Trent increased by 7 percentage points

Percentage of households in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Stoke-on-Trent

In 2011, 7.4% of Stoke-on-Trent residents said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from 3.7% in 2001. The 3.7 percentage point change was the largest increase among ethnic groups in this area.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 7.6% to 10.8%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 88.6% of people in Stoke-on-Trent said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, compared with 94.8% in 2001. About 1.8% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.9% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.5% to 1.5%.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Stoke-on-Trent increased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Stoke-on-Trent by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Stoke-on-Trent residents that were unemployed increased from 4.0% to 5.3% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in two (50.2%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 49.4% in 2001. The percentage of Stoke-on-Trent residents that were self-employed increased from 5.1% to 6.3%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.8% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Stoke-on-Trent increased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Families in Stoke-on-Trent

The percentage of households without children changed very little in Stoke-on-Trent, while the proportion increased in Staffordshire Moorlands (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Stoke-on-Trent).

In Stoke-on-Trent, the proportion of households without children increased from 60.2% in 2001 to 60.8% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Staffordshire Moorlands increased from 59.3% to 62.6%.

Across the West Midlands, the share of households without children increased from 59.0% to 59.3%.

The proportion of households with children in Stoke-on-Trent fell from 29.5% to 29.1%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 10.1%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

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